FREE/BARGAIN — Mystery, Suspense & Thrillers

[sufue]

The Snake Stone is the 2nd in the Investigator Yashim series by Jason Goodwin. It has dropped to $2.99 at Kindle and Kobo US. Both this title and the first title in the series, The Janissary Tree, won/were nominated for various awards. I've read and quite enjoyed Tree, so am happy to get this one at a nice price, although I'm typically not a huge fan of plots, as this one apparently is, per the blurb, where the investigator him- or herself is the main suspect. But at $2.99, and based on Tree, it's worth the price to me, and will be pretty high up on my TBR list.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Snake-Stone-N...dp/B004L62DZ4/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-snake-stone-1

Spoiler:

The captivating return of Yashim, the eunuch investigator from the intelligent, elliptical and beguilingly written" (The Times, London) bestseller The Janissary Tree

When a French archaeologist arrives in 1830s Istanbul determined to track down a lost Byzantine treasure, the local Greek communities are uncertain how to react; the man seems dangerously well informed. Yashim Togalu, who so brilliantly solved the mysterious murders in The Janissary Tree, is once again enlisted to investigate. But when the archaeologist's mutilated body is discovered outside the French embassy, it turns out there is only one suspect: Yashim himself.

The New York Times celebrated The Janissary Tree as "the perfect escapist mystery," and The Daily Telegraph called it "[A] tremendous first novel . . . Beautifully written, perfectly judged, humane, witty and captivating."

With The Snake Stone, Jason Goodwin delights us with another transporting romp through the back streets of nineteenth-century Istanbul. Yashim finds himself racing against time once again, to uncover the startling truth behind a shadowy society dedicated to the revival of the Byzantine Empire, encountering along the way such vibrant characters as Lord Byron's doctor and the sultan's West Indies–born mother, the Valide. Armed only with a unique sixteenth-century book, the dashing eunuch leads us into a world where the stakes are high, betrayal is death—and the pleasure to the reader is immense.

[ATDrake]

X-link to the DRM-free thread for Dreamspinner Press' 10th anniversary flash giveaway freebie, available worldwide until 12 PM Eastern Time:

Murder Most Gay by John Simpson, 1st in his eponymous series of police procedural murder mysteries with m/m romantic elements, starring a pair of gay cops who are professional partners who eventually establish personal relationships with other men. This 1st installment pits them vs a serial killer who is targeting gay men.

ETA: apparently the author is a former police officer, and this case is loosely based on a real life one he investigated back in the 1980s.

[Kieran Seymour]

Two more novels in Michael Avallone's Ed Noon series are currently free. The Alarming Clock is a repeat, but The Fat Death is a new one.

(05) The Alarming Clock
amazon.co.uk | amazon.com | amazon.ca

Ed Noon receives an odd alarm clock in the mail with a mysterious message that leads to a showdown with some very murderous ex-Nazis and a diabolical plot to sabotage America's next, most crucial A-bomb test. Noon is reunited with the lovely Alma Wheeler (from THE TALL DOLORES) and has his very first contact with the White House... a contact which will ultimately lead to his future employment as a spy for Mr. President in many cases and years to come.

(15) The Fat Death
amazon.co.uk | amazon.com | amazon.ca

“Beware the Fat Death” reads the thousands of leaflets fluttering down from the sky over Manhattan. A thin man, giant freak, who calls himself the Slim Savior, has begun a huge campaign because he has some idea about making America dietconscious, but nothing that innocent is the byplay that ensues from his doctrine. The fashion world and the garment industry is also the background for Noon’s love affair with Alberta Carstairs, which will have repercussions some thirty year’s later when a bastard son walks into Ed Noon’s life unannounced.

[HarryT]

Thanks - always good to get another one in this series.

[Dr. Drib]

Let the WORLD know about the inanities of Ed Noon!

I already have the two listed above [Thank you!]....but somewhere in the WORLD there is an individual just dying to be mystified, amused, bewildered, and confused.

He might be YOU!

ADDED: Or SHE!

[sufue]

Three of the first four titles in Leonardo Padura's Mario Conde/Havana series have dropped to $2.99 at Kindle US. Apparently the publication order varies by country - you can see the discussion at SYKM, including original Cuban publication order (link here), if you are really interested. Sadly the remaining title in the first four, Havana Red, is still sitting at $9.99. Also sadly, the blurbs don't give much info about these - they are short enough to not even bother hiding as "spoilers", as you will see below. This sounds like one of the sorts of series I like though, so I may give one a quick try or see if I can borrow from any of the libraries I have accounts at, to get a feel for whether to buy the rest.

In any case here is info for the three (in SYKM's orig pub order):

Havana Blue:
link: https://www.amazon.com/Havana-Blue-L...dp/B005DXRIH2/

A scorching novel from a star of Cuban fiction. The third in the Havana Quartet series.

Havana Gold:
link: https://www.amazon.com/Havana-Gold-Q...dp/B005DB3EDQ/

Scorching novel from a star of Cuban fiction. The fourth of the Havana Quartet series.

Havana Black:
link: https://www.amazon.com/Havana-Black-...dp/B005DB3HLU/

Scorching novel from a star of Cuban fiction. Second Conde mystery set in languid Havana.

[TrevorViking]

Someday the first book or three will go free (again?), and then I'll finally think about actually reading some Noon. Cursed OCD......

[Kieran Seymour]

Originally Posted by TrevorViking

Someday the first book or three will go free (again?), and then I'll finally think about actually reading some Noon.

It's not just me then

And apologies to everyone about the excitement of a 'new' freebie yesterday. Turns out that I'd been logged out of Amazon and as a consequence it didn't say that I'd already bought The Fat Death.

I clicked buy, had to log in and it then went straight to the product page to say "You bought this book on 1 June etc".

It was only when I went to update my eBook spreadsheet last night that I discovered I'd actually bought it on 1 June last year...

[JSWolf]

Body Double by Tess Gerritsen is $1.99. It's the 4th book in the Rizzoli and Isle series.

Boston medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles is shocked to discover that the murdered woman looks exactly like her. For Maura, an only child, a DNA test confirms the startling fact: the mysterious doppelgänger is in fact her twin sister. Now an already bizarre homicide investigation becomes a disturbing excursion into a past full of dark secrets and twisted truths. It is a journey that leads Maura to the mother she never knew—an icy and cunning woman who gave Maura life . . . and who just might have a plan to take it away.

Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bod...li-isles-novel
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Body-Double-R.../dp/B000FC1V38

[sufue]

The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein is the third in the Pot Thief series by J. Michael Orenduff. It has dropped to $0.99 at Kindle US. I've read and quite enjoyed several of the titles in this series.

link: https://www.amazon.com/Thief-Studied...dp/B00HO12CRW/

Spoiler:

A shady pottery collector is murdered in sunny New Mexico in this mystery in a “winning series” (Susan Wittig Albert).

Maybe it was the chance to make an easy $2,500. Or maybe it was the opportunity to examine a treasure trove of Anasazi pots—or maybe it was just a slow day at the antiques shop that convinced Hubie Schuze to agree to a strange proposition. A reclusive collector wants a confidential appraisal, with one catch: Hubie must be blindfolded and driven to an unknown location by a chauffeur. Sure, it’s an odd setup, but what could possibly go wrong?

Hubie’s nonchalance fades fast when he finds three replicas among the genuine antiquities. Worse, after returning home, he can’t seem to find the $2,500 cash that the collector gave him. Incensed at the rip-off, Hubie is determined to recoup the money, but Detective Whit Fletcher interrupts his scheme, dragging him instead to the morgue to identify a John Doe. When the sheet is pulled back, Hubie is shocked to see the body of the unknown art collector.

Hubie is not a suspect—yet. But the longer he pursues this mystery, the more tangled he will become in the dead man’s shadowy life.

The Pot Thief Who Studied Einstein is the 3th book in the Pot Thief Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.

[sufue]

Monk's Hood is the third in the Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters. It has dropped to $1.99 at Kindle and Kobo US (coupon/VIPable). Awesome series...

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Monks-Hood-Ch...dp/B00LUZNVV4/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/monk-s-hood-3

Spoiler:

Silver Dagger Award Winner: In this medieval mystery, Brother Cadfael faces suspicion when one of his herbal ingredients is used to kill a man.

Gervase Bonel is a guest of Shrewsbury Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul when he suddenly takes ill. Luckily, the abbey boasts the services of the clever and kindly Brother Cadfael, a skilled herbalist. Cadfael hurries to the man’s bedside, only to be confronted with two surprises: In Master Bonel’s wife, the good monk recognizes Richildis, whom he loved before he took his vows—and Master Bonel has been fatally poisoned by monk’s-hood oil from Cadfael’s stores.

The sheriff is convinced that the murderer is Richildis’s son, Edwin, who hated his stepfather. But Cadfael, guided in part by his concern for a woman to whom he was once betrothed, is certain of her son’s innocence. Using his knowledge of both herbs and the human heart, Cadfael deciphers a deadly recipe for murder.

[Kieran Seymour]

Michael Dobbs' House of Cards is a Daily Deal at Amazon UK today, just 99p.

The basis for the outstanding 1990 BBC television adaptation starring Ian Richardson - one of the very best political thrillers to ever come out of the UK. I can highly recommend the restored Blu-ray set of the complete trilogy for anyone who's only familiar with the more recent Kevin Spacey version.

As for the book, I've never read it, but I intend putting that right very soon!

Politics, intrigue and passion in the corridors of power.

Chief Whip Francis Urquhart has his hand on every secret in politics - and is willing to betray them all to become prime minister.

Mattie Storin is a tenacious young political correspondent. She faces the biggest challenge of her life when she stumbles upon a scandalous web of intrigue and financial corruption at the very highest levels. She is determined to reveal the truth, but she must risk everything to do so…

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Kieran Seymour

Michael Dobbs' House of Cards is a Daily Deal at Amazon UK today, just 99p.

Great book - do read it if you've not already done so. It's the first of a trilogy (the other two being "To Play the King" and "The Final Cut"), but it can be read as a completely standalone book.

[sufue]

The Road to Ithaca is the fifth and most recent (2017) in the Martin Bora series by Ben Pastor. It has dropped to $2.99 at Kindle US.

link: https://www.amazon.com/Road-Ithaca-M...dp/B01MSI8VBK/

Spoiler:

Wehrmacht officer Bora is sent to recently occupied Crete and must investigate the brutal murder of a Red Cross representative befriended by Himmler. All the clues lead to a platoon of trigger-happy German paratroopers but is this the truth? Bora takes to the mountains of Crete to solve the case, navigating his way between local bandits and foreign resistance fighters.

[sufue]

Hounded is the 12th in the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt. Per SYKM, it won the 2015 Shamus Award for Best Novel. It has dropped to $2.99 at Kindle and Kobo US.

Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Hounded-Carpe...dp/B00HTJBCUC/
Kobo US: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/hounded-9

Spoiler:

Andy Carpenter isn't sure what to think when he gets a mysterious phone call from a good friend, policeman Pete Stanton, asking him to drop everything, drive to an unfamiliar address, and bring his girlfriend, Laurie Collins. He certainly isn't expecting to show up at a crime scene. But that's exactly where he arrives—at the house where Pete has just discovered the body of ex-convict Danny Diza. Upstairs are Danny's now orphaned eight-year-old son and basset hound. And that, Andy discovers, is why he and Laurie were called to the scene—Pete wants them to take care of the boy and the dog so they won't get thrown into the "system." This is already asking a lot, but soon Pete needs another big favor from Andy. Pete himself has come under suspicion for Danny's murder, and he needs defense attorney Andy to represent him…and to find out what really happened in Danny's house that day.

David Rosenfelt has done it again. Told with his characteristic humor and wit, Hounded is at once a heartfelt story about family and a page-turning legal thriller.